SPDIF volume?

wwenze · 27th October 2008, 12:11 AM

I have an Audigy in one computer and a Realtek on-board on another computer. Connected to a Zhaolu D2.5A via coaxial.

With the Audigy volume levels are acceptable.

But strange thing happened when I connected it to the Realtek. With the master volume at 10% and wave at 100% (in windoze) it was deafeningly loud, so loud it can be heard across two rooms with closed doors. I am afraid that I might have damaged some capacitors or tweeters. (But my Atoms are rated to 50W so they should be fine, right? Now I'm about the output stage of my DAC and T-amp.) But I digress.

How did changing a digital source result in volume reaching deafening levels? I though volume through SPDIF should be the same since it's a digital format, save for attenuations?

phofman · 27th October 2008, 08:29 AM

SPDIF output itself gives no guarantee the signal has not been played with along the signal path. It is all up to the card, the driver, and the playback application. Some cards/drivers provide SPDIF volume control, some provide pure SPDIF passthrough.

I suggest you put your PC volume at max to maintain bit resolution of the signal, and regulate volume at your amp. It will avoid these little surprises plus you never know which windows update breaks your driver to the extent of outputing full-volume noise

wwenze · 16th November 2008, 01:47 PM

I found the wierd answer. The problem isn't with the source but with the DAC.

If I plug out and plug in the input without letting the DAC reset itself, i get volume so loud it clips with Windows volume less than half (ever seen a source that clips 100%?)

When this happens, all I need to do is off and on the DAC again and it becomes normal.

I managed to do this on Zhaolu D2.5 and D3.

Wierd.

27th October 2008, 12:11 AM	#1
wwenze diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	SPDIF volume? I have an Audigy in one computer and a Realtek on-board on another computer. Connected to a Zhaolu D2.5A via coaxial. With the Audigy volume levels are acceptable. But strange thing happened when I connected it to the Realtek. With the master volume at 10% and wave at 100% (in windoze) it was deafeningly loud, so loud it can be heard across two rooms with closed doors. I am afraid that I might have damaged some capacitors or tweeters. (But my Atoms are rated to 50W so they should be fine, right? Now I'm about the output stage of my DAC and T-amp.) But I digress. How did changing a digital source result in volume reaching deafening levels? I though volume through SPDIF should be the same since it's a digital format, save for attenuations?

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27th October 2008, 08:29 AM	#2
phofman diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pilsen	SPDIF output itself gives no guarantee the signal has not been played with along the signal path. It is all up to the card, the driver, and the playback application. Some cards/drivers provide SPDIF volume control, some provide pure SPDIF passthrough. I suggest you put your PC volume at max to maintain bit resolution of the signal, and regulate volume at your amp. It will avoid these little surprises plus you never know which windows update breaks your driver to the extent of outputing full-volume noise

16th November 2008, 01:47 PM	#3
wwenze diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	I found the wierd answer. The problem isn't with the source but with the DAC. If I plug out and plug in the input without letting the DAC reset itself, i get volume so loud it clips with Windows volume less than half (ever seen a source that clips 100%?) When this happens, all I need to do is off and on the DAC again and it becomes normal. I managed to do this on Zhaolu D2.5 and D3. Wierd.